ON the playing fields at a Coventry school, almost 60 youngsters are honing their football skills and having fun....

ON the playing fields at a Coventry school, almost 60 youngsters are honing their football skills and having fun.

Enticed to take part by the lure of Sky Blues-run coaching sessions, it is a positive initiative for children which Railtrack is keen to support.

It has today announced a major sponsorship deal which will give the club more than #37,000 over three years to run football sessions for youngsters in the community and get across vital safety messages.

Weekly acts of vandalism and trespass put Coventry third in a national league of shame for railway crime - and an estimated 90 per cent of those involved are aged 17 or under.

Railtrack spokesman Nigel Barber said: "One of the biggest issues we've got is that the vast majority of those who trespass on the railway are young males aged 11 to 15.

"Most enjoy football and so it's a good way of getting safety messages across and communicating with this particular age group, and also with adults.

"We can deal with trespass and vandalism in the here-andnow by working with the police and making arrests, patrols and CCTV cameras and improved fencing, but then there's the long-term, and if we can work with the community to start to filter safety messages through then we need to do that.

"What we're hoping is that while they're carrying out the coaching courses they'll get over rail safety messages, while the kids will also be having fun and learning skills in a safe environment away from the railways."

Coventry City's Football in the Community scheme regularly runs coaching sessions for youngsters and will be running almost 40 courses for boys and girls aged between five and 15 during the summer vacation, lasting from one to four days.

The Railtrack funding boost will enable the club to hold even more coaching sessions - including after school - benefiting hundreds of children. The work will include targeting known problem areas for railway vandalism and trespass.

"We'll be able to give a direct response," said Coventry City Football in the Community officer Martin Tully.

"We will be able to put on sessions as and when a hot spot comes up so if say there's a lot of vandalism happening between 4pm and 5pm in a particular area we'll be able to put on sessions to coincide with that time."

He said the club was thrilled to be involved in the campaign and that the Railtrack donation was the biggest ever to the club's non-profit making Football in the Community work.

Launching the scheme at Finham Park School in Green Lane yesterday, he was joined by Coventry City tough-tackling midfielder John Eustace, and former Sky Blues star David Busst, who helps to co-ordinate the community coaching sessions.

John said: "It's great for the kids to come down and train with good coaches. It keeps them out of trouble and it's good experience for them. It's nice to see David Busst here as well because being an ex-City star the kids look up to him."

David added: "It's all about fun rather than just having football drummed into them and it's for all abilities. It's a community thing and the support from Railtrack is great."

The children on this week's course at Finham Park School say it can be hard to find things to do during the holidays, and welcomed the plan to making the coaching sessions available to more youngsters.

Among them was Stephen Hall, aged 11, of Kirby Road, Earlsdon, who is starting at Alderman Callow School in September and is a regular on the courses.

"They teach you quite a lot and I enjoy it," he said.

Benjamin Payne, aged 10, of Maidavale Crescent, Styvechale, who attends Grange Farm School, said: "I've been on about four of the courses and I think they're good, it gives you a good opportunity to play some football."

Another regular, Woodlands School pupil Greg Mabbett, aged 13, of Oddicombe Croft, Styvechale, who also enjoys skateboarding in Coventry's War Memorial Park, says the courses give him something to do in the holidays.

Earlsdon Primary School pupil Laura Cooper, aged 10, of Dalton Road, Earlsdon, who has also attended previous courses, was among those shocked to see pictures in the Evening Telegraph at the launch of the Keep off the Tracks campaign, showing youngsters putting their lives at risk on a Coventry railway line.

"I saw those boys running across the railway line in the paper, and I know there are some people who play this game called chicken, and someone came into our school and told us about a person they knew who'd got killed on the railway.

"Anything that can be done that might prevent it is good."

* There are still places left on the summer coaching sessions. For details contact David Busst on 07977 426851.